The present invention relates to methods for producing coated chewing gum products. More particularly, the invention relates to producing coated chewing gum products containing flavor and a dipeptide sweetener in the coating. Preferably, an antacid is also added to the chewing gum coating such that it will have a fast release from chewing gum for maximum effectiveness.
Coated chewing gum products are well known. Many prior art patents disclose chewing gum products coated with sugar sweeteners or polyol sweeteners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,838, for example, discloses a method of applying a sugarless coating to chewing gum. The coating may include calcium carbonate as an anti-sticking agent. Synthetic sweeteners, including many different high-intensity sweeteners, are also suggested for use in the coating.
It has been discovered that some high-intensity sweeteners, particularly aspartame (APM), are unstable and degrade while in the coating syrup. Often the coating syrup is made in advance and held at an elevated temperature for several hours until it is used. This problem was identified earlier and addressed in copending application Ser. No. 09/591,256, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,900.
Another area of interest is the use of medicaments in chewing gum. In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that an active medicament that is added to the chewing gum is generally released very readily. An active medicament may be added to the gum coating, which is a water soluble matrix, such that during the chewing period, the medicament may be released quickly, resulting in a fast release. This would allow a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for an active medicament with these fast release characteristics.
It is of course known to provide active medicaments to individuals for various purposes. These medicaments can be used to treat diseases and as such are typically referred to as drugs or medicaments. Likewise, the drugs or medicaments can be used for preventative purposes. Still, it is known to provide medicaments to an individual for a variety of non-medical purposes including enhancing performance or maintaining health.
There are a great variety of such medicaments. These medicaments run the gamut from stimulants such as caffeine to drugs such as analgesics, tranquilizers and cardiovascular products, as well as vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Some such medicaments, such as antacids, are taken on an “as needed” basis while other medicaments must be taken at regular intervals by the individual.
Antacids are used to relieve gastrointestinal disturbances. These antacids are generally insoluble inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or aluminum hydroxide. These antacids readily neutralize acids in the GI tract and are commonly available in or as antacid tablets.
Previously, antacids have been added to chewing gum and in a chewing gum coating, but have not been totally consumer acceptable. The large amount of active antacid needed for effectiveness did not lend itself to giving a good tasting product. Also, the presence of sugar in the antacid chewing gum or coated on the chewing gum was not consumer acceptable. However, new types of sugarless coated chewing gum preparations with high-intensity sweeteners and quality flavors can be effective to make new antacid-type chewing gum preparations that can be more consumer acceptable.
It has been found that by adding the antacid to a gum coating, the antacid is quickly released from the chewing gum into saliva and into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, one of the difficulties that has been encountered in adding an antacid to a chewing gum coating is that the antacid, being basic, raises the pH of the coating syrup. This has been found to exacerbate the problem mentioned above regarding degradation of some high-intensity sweeteners used in coating syrups.
Some high-intensity sweeteners, particularly dipeptide sweeteners such as aspartame and alitame, are not stable in the presence of aldehyde flavors. These flavors decompose the sweeteners so that they lose their sweetness potency. The sweeteners that may be included in the coating may thus be degraded when flavors are also added to a coating.
Thus, there is a need for a way to make coated chewing gum products that include aldehyde flavor and high-intensity sweeteners in the coating and that allows the high-intensity sweetener to be well distributed in the coating but avoids any degradation of unstable high-intensity sweeteners. It would especially be an improvement if an antacid could also be included in the chewing gum coating without causing degradation of the high-intensity sweeteners.